How to Clean Silicone Sex Toys?

Before Cleaning: Confirm Your Toy Is Silicone

Before you wash and use your sex toy, you need to confirm it is made from silicone. The original packaging states the material the toy is made from, but we also list this in our product description. It should state that it is made from 100% silicone or medical-grade silicone. Silicone toys don’t smell or have a specific taste, which you can use as a reference to see if your toy is made from pure silicone.

However, if you are not sure or you don’t have the original packaging, you can do a test. Pure silicone does not change color under pressure, and you can use it to test the toy. You can do a simple pinch or twist test: pinch or twist the silicone sex toy, and if it turns white-ish, it probably is not 100% silicone, but it has other ingredients as well.

Cleaning Silicone Sex Toys

Now that you know you have a silicone sex toy, let’s discuss how to clean it. Because silicone is non-porous and long-lasting, it is used to make butt plugs, encase vibrators, and dildos. Now, as you can see, there are different uses for silicone in the adult industry, and silicone toys can be non-motorized and motorized. The motorized silicone toys are also rated as waterproof, splashproof, and non-waterproof.

Cleaning non-motorized silicone sex toys like silicone butt plugs and silicone dildos is straightforward. Take a mild soap, create a lather, and wash the silicone toy with it. Then rinse it under warm water and leave the toy to air-dry. After it is dry, store it in a suitable sex toy storage bag or case.

If you want to do a deep cleaning of your non-motorized silicone sex toys, you can also boil them for a few minutes, ensuring the boiling water will disinfect them thoroughly. You can learn more in our complete guide on how to boil sex toys.

The motorized silicone toys like vibrators or vibrating butt plugs and prostate massagers require more diligence, as the internal mechanism is susceptible to heat, and you can’t boil them. If you are cleaning a waterproof silicone vibrator or an insertable vibrating egg, you can freely wash it with soap and rinse it with warm water. As before, please leave it to air-dry or pat it dry with a lint-free cloth and store it in a particular sex toy bag.

The splashproof silicone toys, like some battery-powered vibes, can also be washed with soap and water, but here you must be careful not to let it sit underwater for long, but only rinse the suds away from the toy, patting it dry with a lint-free towel. You can also use a sex toy cleaner and carefully rinse the splashproof toy.

The non-waterproof silicone toys, for example, the plug-in vibrating wands with large silicone heads, can’t be washed with water. Instead, you need to take an antibacterial wipe and wipe the silicone head with it, making sure you wipe down all the surfaces. Alternatively, you can also get a cloth and some sex toy cleaner and carefully wipe the business end of the toy, making sure you don’t get liquids in the electronic parts of the toy.

Silicone Toys & Lube Compatibility

Here, we feel we must also talk about silicone sex toys and lube compatibility. Silicone is a polymer material that is very resistant to heat and moisture, is non-toxic, and does not support microbial growth, making it ideal for making sex toys.

But there is one downside to silicone toys, and that is their incompatibility with silicone sex lubes. Silicone-based lubricants have a similar composition as silicone sex toys, and using these together can cause the surface of the silicone toy to dissolve in the lube, making it sticky.

So, we must note that you should not use a silicone sex toy with silicone lube but only use silicone toys with water-based lubes. Even though water-based lube can dry out and is not so effective when used in water, it works best with silicone toys. The same goes for oil-based lubes, as some oils, like coconut oil or petroleum jelly, can damage the surface of the silicone toy.

There are some hybrid lubes that are a blend of water-based and silicone lubes that you can use with silicone toys, but you will need to check and make sure you have a product that is compatible with your silicone toy.

The Bottom Line

Always clean and store your silicone sex toys properly, as it will ensure these will last you a long time. If you store them in specialized sex toy storage bags, you don’t have to prepare them before use, but only give them a quick wipe and have your fun, and devote time to clean them after you play.

We also recommend you have condoms nearby for the times you wish to experiment and use a vaginal toy for anal play, as it will help protect your health and your toys.